This week has been gorgeous, with the mercury going up into the 60's today. Switching back to summers in the next few weeks is just begging for a late-season blizzard. How long should I hold out on winter tires?
This week has been gorgeous, with the mercury going up into the 60's today. Switching back to summers in the next few weeks is just begging for a late-season blizzard. How long should I hold out on winter tires?
It was in the 60's here Saturday, but snowed Sunday, so who knows? E36 M3, who am I kidding. I've had summer tires on the car all winter...
I've been running RE71R's one weekend a month for the local 'Slush Series' autocrosses.
With healthy tread depth they're surprisingly good in the wet and even in the cold, at 22 degrees they did just fine.
I would say that when the temps stay at 40+ degrees when you drive, you're save. The ride quality is compromised when you drive at temps under 40.
It will snow, I put mine on yesterday.
I swapped mine back on a couple weeks ago in upstate NY when it hit 75 degrees. It's dipped down to freezing a couple of times since I swapped, but not cold enough to turn them into hockey pucks. I did spend most of last night and this morning hoping the ground was warm enough for the bit of sleet we got to melt on contact (it did, roads were just wet). Based on the forecast, I should be good from here on out.
March is the 3rd snowiest month in Minnesota (southern part of state is getting over a foot by the end of today). Mid April is usually OK. Mean while the NB is still hibernating. At least the ice is off the lakes here in mid Minnesota.
I keep saying, "Ok, I will take them of tomorrow" and then it goes back to winter, so tomorrow hasn't come yet
iceracer wrote: I keep saying, "Ok, I will take them of tomorrow" and then it goes back to winter, so tomorrow hasn't come yet
That's how I kept feeling when it was time to put the snows on... I ended up staying on summers until just after Christmas 
Better to drive on winter tires when it's a bit warm than to drive on summer tires when it's a bit cold...winter tires won't get cracks in the rubber from driving on them when it's warm.
Nope - getting 30 cm (12") today and overnight!
Never take the winter tires off until the 1st snow in April.
My Star Specs haven't left the BRZ since last February.
Thankfully no real weather this winter.
I got overzealous and threw on my winter tires a few weeks ago. Since then we've had two surprise snow storms. I could have thrown the snow tires back on, they're on their own wheels, but I flipped the bird at the weather and rocked the summers anyways.
Surprisingly, they did better than my old, worn out winter tires did.
They make tires that aren't summer tires?
I run Hoosier drag radials on the RX-7 YEAR ROUND. 
Just took her out for a little ride. Gonna be eighty here today.
Denver got a foot of snow yesterday and most of the mountain passes along with the airport got closed. Running summer tires on I-70 would have picked you up a nice ticket for improper equipment.
So, yeah, stick with the winter rubber.
Damn, some of you live real far north!
snowed at my house last night. Only an inch or two. It's still early yet in Vermont. This is just a tease I think.
The group I organize with autocrossed last weekend
(image from the event, not my car)
I didnt run my Miata, but did do 2 runs at the test and tune the next day in my Miata, on General Altimax Arctics... Amazed that it did as well as it did, but the tires were overheating on the second run. I think a third would have chunked them.
Right now, its 76 degrees outside.
We have another autocross on April 10th, but I am moving on April 22nd and may wait to change wheels until I am in my new house. Still thinking it over.
Yeah, ran my star specs year round on the miata but also have an accord so it doesn't see snow. They drove fine on nice days where it may have been 30-40 degrees but still sunny out. Ran the highest finish so far in an autocross last year on them during a rain/sleet event on them.
GameboyRMH wrote: Better to drive on winter tires when it's a bit warm than to drive on summer tires when it's a bit cold...winter tires won't get cracks in the rubber from driving on them when it's warm.
Michelin and Continental both have published warnings against not even EXPOSING their Extreme category tires (200 tw or less) to temps less than 22 degrees F.
sachilles wrote: snowed at my house last night. Only an inch or two. It's still early yet in Vermont. This is just a tease I think.
I saw that north VT is supposed to get 3+ inches. Daughter lives in Enosburg Falls.
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